FSX-MS AI Traffic conversion

[Dirk98 354]

I'm scrathing the surface of AI Traffic/WoAI and I need some very basic guidelines for building up my AI fleet.

 

First and foremost I'd like to understand what I would gain by converting fs9 AI traffic packages (that are plenty and well organized in the file/links library on avsim and woai) to FSX  packages. The task seems quite daunting, so I'd like to understand if my AI fleet will benefit from it at all.

 

I'm using WoAI Installer and AI Flight Planner (V 3.1.6) tools to manipulate and convert bgls. I found already a few errors with AIFP in a package from woai/avsim and was able to fix them by editting aircraft.cfg. What is also important for me is to have random Activity Level (%) in different flight plans and be able to change it to my liking. The good thing is that Activity Level in WoAI flight plans seems always randomized. I wish I could also learn how to bulk-randomize activity % in flight plans with some tools.

 

Also, are there AITraffic packages for WoAI already converted to FSX? What are the most popular current tools used for AI traffic? 

 

Please share what you know on the above.

 

Much thanks,

Dirk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[N60JBravo 27]

The only benefit to converting all traffic files to FSX format is that you cannot have a mix of FS9 and FSX format files.

 

If you do, the traffic from the FSX files will not show up in the sim.

 

Using AIFP, converting the files should be as simple as a couple mouse clicks.

 

None of the WoAI packages are in FSX format, AFAIK. Even the FSX specific WoAI packages have FS9 format traffic files.

 

AIFP is the most popular free traffic tool for FSX. There are some payware AI packages that allow you to customize their traffic, I don't own any of them though.

 

regards,

Joe

[Dirk98 354]

The only benefit to converting all traffic files to FSX format is that you cannot have a mix of FS9 and FSX format files.

 

 

 

Thanks, Joe, I thought there was something else to it.

 

Are there any good FSX-native traffic files to seek compatibility? Hmm, I understand some of add-on sceneries add their traffic, and it might be in FSX format. Btw how do I learn if it is fs9 or fsx traffic file, if there's no indication in the file name?

 

If my woai traffic files are placed in Addon Scenery folder (declared in the Library), how about those residing in Scenery/World/Scenery? Do they still work (if both are the same format) and which one would take precedence? Can they both work when not overlapping?

 

I understand if a single fs9 traffic file is used (no matter where it is in Addon Scenery or Scenery/World/Scenery) it will block fsx traffic, wili it not?

 

Thanks,

Dirk.

[N60JBravo 27]

how do I learn if it is fs9 or fsx traffic file, if there's no indication in the file name?

The only way I know of is to check it with AIFP.

 

If my woai traffic files are placed in Addon Scenery folder (declared in the Library), how about those residing in Scenery/World/Scenery? Do they still work (if both are the same format) and which one would take precedence? Can they both work when not overlapping?

Any traffic file in an active scenery folder will work.

 

There is no priority for traffic files, if you place 2 copies of the same file in 2 different scenery folders you will have duplicate traffic.

 

I understand if a single fs9 traffic file is used (no matter where it is in Addon Scenery or Scenery/World/Scenery) it will block fsx traffic, wili it not?

Yes.

 

regards,

Joe

[Dirk98 354]

The only way I know of is to check it with AIFP.

 

 

Joe, how to do that? AIFP just mentions TARGET VERSION FSX (for conversion I guess), but nowhere it mentions the current traffic file property as fs9 or fsx. Is there something in the flight plan format that tells you what type of traffic file one is?

 

Thanks,

Dirk.

[N60JBravo 27]

Put any new traffic files in a temporary folder on your Desktop and scan that folder for FS9 traffic files with AIFP.

 

There are other tools for traffic file conversion, I have only ever used AIFP. It does everything I need, extremely well.

 

regards

Joe

[Dirk98 354]

Put any new traffic files in a temporary folder on your Desktop and scan that folder for FS9 traffic files with AIFP.

 

 

regards

Joe

 

I'm using AIFP v3.1.06 and there's 'Find FS9 Traffic Files' under 'Bulk Traffic' drop down menu. Did you mean that one? Good tip, it works.

 

Thanks,

Dirk.

[Dirk98 354]

Joe, in AIFP when I delete an airport in the middle pane, do I delete all the flight plans associated with it? (left pane)

 

Thanks,

Dirk.

 

PS: if the activity level in the ai traffic flight plan is set to 60% and my FSX traffic setting (ifr) is 35%, does it mean I will never see that flight in 3d?

[N60JBravo 27]

I don't think AIFP will let you delete an airport that is used in a flight plan in the open traffic file. I have never tried it.

 

Why would you want to do that?

 

Yes, your FS traffic slider has to be at or above the activity level in the flight plan for the traffic to show up in the sim.

 

regards,

Joe

[Dirk98 354]

Ok, so from now on I will have Airline traffic density and General aviation traffic density at 100% traffic in FSX and manage my acceptable FPS (actual number of AI in 3D) by using AICull and Air TrafficManager instead.

 

You are right, AIFP won't let me delete an airport in that pane. I thought I could try my own mixtures...

 

Thank you.

 

Dirk.

[kiwiflyer45 123]

I'm reactivating this thread to see if there is any advantage to converting FS9 AI textures to FSX format? If so, can anyone give some guidance on how best to go about it?

 

I get it about the traffic files - I use AIFP to make sure they are FSX traffic files. And I have read that there's no practical way to convert FS9 models to FSX. But textures??????

Ian

[cmpbellsjc 2,960]

Ian, there is no advantage to converting the AI textures from .bmp to .ddds. If there was, UT2 and MTX or other payware AI packages would have been shipped with .dds textures. It's just a waste of time to even attempt it.

 

That being said, making sure all your AI textures are mip mapped will make a difference in better performance and no shimmering.

 

The only thing that makes .dds textures necessary is if you have specular textures being used in the model, but the performance is nearly the same. Remember, FSX uses a lot of .bmp textures by default for numerous things.

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Thanks Jim. That's good news as I was guessing that if I had found out the opposite, I was in for some very long evenings converting textures! LOL

 

I do run DxtFixerX regularly to make sure textures are mip-mapped etc. so I guess I'm good to go.

 

Cheers mate

Ian